Getting fit
When we think about getting fit it’s very easy to just think about physical weight or health, but what about mental health? Getting healthy isn’t just all about the way our body’s look it’s also about how the cogs in our head are turning. Below are some stories from people supported by ubu on how they got fit!
Belle’s Story:
For years I had been saying I wanted to lose weight and start eating a healthier diet, for years I had been told my health would get worse if I didn’t start doing something about it, for years I had been unhappy with my weight, my physical and mental health.
A few months ago I woke up and decided it was time to make some changes to my lifestyle and with support from my enabling support team, my first step was to join slimming world. I loved meeting new people and feeling part of something that was bettering me, I even stopped using taxis to get there which was a huge change for me, instead I thought the healthier option was to walk!
After a while I started to notice things that I had never really seen before, such as all the clutter in my flat and although I always cleaned it I didn’t realise how much stuff I had that I just didn’t need. So I gutted it and bought some newly needed wardrobes and it looked like a brand new home, it was brilliant.
Before long I had a well deserved certificate on my wall and was proud to have lost an amazing half a stone, it spurred me on to do even more and I started swimming twice a week, applied for a job and interviewed some potential Enabling Support Workers!
The person I have now become has more confidence, better health and a smile on her face every morning, not to mention the new motivation and passion for life! I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Robert’s Story:
Hi, my name is Robert and I live in my own flat on a housing estate. I have some support from ubu during the day, but I’m able to manage just fine by myself in the evenings. I struggle with anxiety and it can be troublesome at home but even more so when I go out into the community.
When I’m out and about I sometimes think people are talking about me or staring and it makes me want to stay in the comfort of my own home. With all this worry it’s fair to say I had become over weight.
During the last year I have been supported and encouraged to lose the weight I had gained, eating junk food and barely going out just wasn’t working for me and through sheer determination and a lot of effort I now weigh around the same as I did in the 1990’s! Believe me it’s a huge difference!
Overall I eat a much better diet, which includes fruit and vegetables. I do still have some cheeky sausage and chips as a treat but it’s no longer the main thing I eat! I exercise much more now a days too and I go out almost every day with support. I walk to the shops and to my GP appointments which used to cause me a great deal of anxiety, even to the point I refused to go, but with some help I feel much more better about going.
With my new found confidence I’ve started going to Tai Chi, using the train to get there, I take a healthy packed lunch with me, and often call at the home of one of the people who attend the session for a coffee before I head back home.
All I needed was some support and encouragement to get to where I’ve always wanted to be and I couldn’t be happier, if you had asked me later last year about horse riding I would have thrown the idea out of the window, but now, well you will just have to wait and see!
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